Poisoning With Antidepressive Drugs: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

From 1976-1980, 3193 admissions due to acute drug overdosage at a resuscitation center in Germany were studied to determine the frequency & characteristics of self-poisoning with antidepressants & some low potency neuroleptic drugs. The incidence of antidepressant self-poisoning in this area was relatively low compared to the results of other studies. This could be explained by a low rate of prescription of antidepressants, a low dosage prescribed or success of the drugs in treating depression.